According to the prior art, and as should be within the common knowledge among the skilled ones in the art, starter engines, also called starters, are formed by a structure comprised basically of a cooperating solenoid with an actuating lever which in turn moves the sprocket or freewheel to connect to the crankshaft of the combustion engine. The actuation of these mechanisms occurs through the power supply from the moment the automotive vehicle's driver rotates the key, triggers the start button on the vehicle dashboard or the vehicle's ECU activates the actuation.
More particularly, at the time of starting the engine combustion of automotive vehicles, the solenoid receives an electrical signal through the engine driving terminal thereof, which is also called “borne#50”, in order to trigger the coils of said solenoid and, thus, generate a magnetic field that pulls the solenoid armature, dragging the driving lever of the starter engine. At this time, said actuating lever pushes the sprocket or freewheel to connect in the crankshaft gear and at the same time, the solenoid closes the electrical contact of the main circuit and starts to energize the coil and armature of the starter engine, producing a magnetic field and consequently the engine rotational motion with enough torque and speed so that the crankshaft can drive the combustion engine.
From the moment the combustion engine can move alone, the electrical signal applied to borne#50 of the solenoid can be stopped and, with it, the coils are no longer energized and the sprocket or freewheel is, then disengaged from the crankshaft gear, usually through the action of a spring arranged to ensure that decoupling.
Some time ago it was noticed that at the time the electrical signal at said borne #50 was stopped, electrical pulses were generated due to the inductance properties of the solenoid's coils, these electrical pulses being harmful to the electrical system of automotive vehicles, affecting the operation of the equipment and electrical and electronic components.
Thus, in order to solve and/or minimize these drawbacks related to the electrical pulses, the starter engine manufacturers began to install a voltage suppressor diode with the solenoid, particularly in a parallel connection with the coils, in order to limit said electrical pulses in more acceptable values and levels to reduce risks and damage to the electrical system of the automotive vehicle.
Thus, it is known in the art a variety of ways for inserting, positioning and installing the suppressor diode with the structure of the solenoid, which must necessarily be connected in one side to the borne #50 and in the other side with an electrical ground reference which may be, for example, the housing or the magnetic core of the solenoid.
One of the ways known in the prior art consists of providing brackets welded to the terminals of the diodes, which are used to fixture and contact with the respective electrical contacts of the solenoid. This solution does not seem practical and simple, since it is necessary to weld the diodes terminals together with said brackets and then insert and install them in the solenoid structure, what hamper the assembly process as well as increasing the costs involved. An example of this solution can be seen in document JP2008196373, which discloses a diode accommodation core comprising two terminals which are welded or terminated in“knife” in places where the diode thread is embedded, being thus constituted by three components collaborating with a resin cover.
Another solution available in the prior art comprises a combination of welding and locking by crimping the diode terminals with the solenoid structure. More specifically, this way of inserting and installing said diode consists of crimping one of the diode terminals with the male bracket of borne #50, and the other terminal is welded in the magnetic core of the solenoid. It is noted that, although functional until the present days, this solution still shows a bit complicated and can be improved and/or optimized, in particular as to the manufacturing process to ensure proper positioning of the respective electrical contacts.
Additionally, it is also known in the state of the art solutions in which the welds are eliminated, preserving only the locking by crimping of the diode terminals with the respective contacts, that is, folding and crimping the diode terminals on borne #50 and the magnetic core of the solenoid. However, it is noted that this process is very complex and quite difficult to be realized in the practice, since, as should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there is no space available on the solenoid structure for handling and crimping of the diode terminals and consequently, there is a great difficulty in obtaining the correct and secure positioning of this diode, without risk of release.
Thus, as can be seen, the ways known in the state of the art for application and installation of suppressor diodes on solenoids of starter engines disclose relatively complex solutions, require additional structural elements or substantial adjustments in the structure of the solenoid as a whole. Further, it is noted that these solutions can even result in damage to other components of the solenoid, or the starter engine itself, due to the difficulty and complexity of the insertion and installation process of these diodes.
More particularly, it is confirmed that the solutions proposed and known until the present days use welds or locking by crimping, said means can affect and damage the diodes and the solenoid. In a clear manner, the welding process is relatively dangerous to the diodes, given that the high temperatures required to promote the weld can damage the inner structure of the diodes. However, the locking by crimping process requires additional components and parts to support and lock the terminals and also to use as connectors of the diodes.
It should be noted, therefore, that both forms of attachment and installation of the diodes face serious difficulties due to the space available for handling the involved elements and, as a consequence, they sacrifice the fixture quality and the contact level required to reduce and/or eliminate the problems generated by electrical pulses coming from the energizing and de-energizing of the starter engine coils.
Thus, before all the above reported, it can be noted that the means for insertion and installation of suppressor diodes in starter engines for automotive vehicles known in the prior art have problems, inconveniences and restrictions for proper accommodation of the diode, as well as regarding the safe arrangement of the terminals thereof. More specifically, it is noted that the current state of the art lacks solutions able to effectively eliminate the use of weld-type harmful media as well as additional components and elements to promote the locking by crimping.
Objectives of the Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a diode accommodation core, particularly for use in solenoids of starter engines used in automotive vehicles, being comprised of technical, structural and functional features specially developed to solve, in a simple, efficient and economical manner, the limitations and drawbacks disclosed by the various forms known in the diodes insertion and installation technique in solenoids of starter engines.
More preferably, it is an object of the present invention to provide a diode accommodation core whose characteristics have been designed to further simplify the diodes insertion and installation process with the solenoids structures, eliminating to the maximum extent the need to use locking by crimping, and especially the use of welds.
It is also one of the objectives of the present invention to provide a diode accommodation core which allows to use the geometries and the spaces currently available in the structural components of the solenoid, thus avoiding the need for adjustments and/or modifications that may somehow affect the production lines of the starter engines.
It is yet another among the objectives of the present invention to provide a diode accommodation core, which configuration allows to position in a safe and appropriate manner the diode contact terminals, isolating them from each other, and ensuring that each terminal stay in touch, respectively, with the fixture screw of borne #50, and with the electrical ground reference.
The diode accommodation core object of the present invention is yet intended to also eliminate the need for processes that lead to high manufacturing costs, for example crimping, machining, welding, or other similar manufacturing processes, which ultimately compromise the production lines and the solenoid assembly to starter engines.
Therefore, in summary, it is possible to say that one of the main objectives of the present invention is to propose a diode accommodation core, especially for solenoids of starter engines, consisting of technical aspects developed to facilitate the manufacturing and assembly process of the solenoids, but mainly to ensure the positioning of the terminals by conducting electrical connection by pressure, without requiring adjustments in the geometric structure of the solenoids currently available on the market, or the obligatory use of welding and/or assembly additional processes.